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Friday, April 28, 2017

A post on temple architecture

Sometimes as you stand in front of a monument or a temple as in this case,you feel so small..You have no words to describe the beauty of what lies in front of you, It leaves you in wonder thinking about those hands and artisans of the bygone era who constructed these masterpiece...And sometimes you even feel sorry for the state in which they are at present...(read )neglected structures.Feeling angry for the miscreants who knowingly damage the architectural marvel that are our to be preserved for all our future generation to take pride upon!

Yes, Such was my emotional state as I visited the temple sites of Halebid and Belur.

Halebid hosts the Shiva temple and Belur is known for the Chennakeshava (literal translation- Handsome Krishna) temple

Belur temple is located in Hassan district and was built by King Vishnuvardhana and is a fine example of the Hoysala dynasty and its workmanship.

When we had visited this temple ,it was the time of the Annual Rath Yatra, which is done after Ugadi and the temple premises was therefore all lighted up and the air was festive.

Within the temple

The temple premises is huge with ample space for one to just sit and gaze around.The main entrance as you can see has the Rajya Gopura as the crown which was the common practice during those days of Vijayanagara empire

The dwajasthambha or the pillar

The emblem of the Hoysala dynasty

The pillars inside the temple are jet black smeared with vermilion by the devotees. There are about 48 of such pillars within the temple. Look at the intricate filigree work.The main highlight of the temple is Darpana Sundari or "The lady with the mirror".

The temple on all its sides is sculpted heavily showing animals, birds,dancers and other figures.The chennakeshva is the main deity but this temple is also flanked by a Lakshmi temple on its right and two other temples dedicated to the beloved of Vishnu.

Another attraction for the devotees and the kids mainly is the stepped well or the Pushkarni. An evening at the temple bought peace and calm to the otherwise chaotic minds of us city dwellers.

Halebid is about 16 km from Belur, was capital of Hoysala and it was formerly called as Dwarasamudra. It has one of the finest Hoysala temples said to have been started by Ketamalla, a commander of Vishnuvardhana in 1121. The temple houses twin Shiva Temples with a common platform and two garbhagrihas, Outer walls have rows of intricate figures narrating episodes from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavata.

Rows and rows of detailed intricate work that takes your breath away.

Nandi facing Lord Shiva's sanctum sanctorum

I know my images cannot do even quarter of a justice to the magnificent stone art that you get to see in these two temple sites. There came a point when I just put my camera away. I wanted to just take in all the beauty within me instead of capturing it through the lens!

My kids totally loved and admired the fine craftsmanship in both the temples.It is in our hands that we make the future generation aware and value the glorious past India has had and carry the legacy of our rich culture and heritage forward!

Home tours and styling tips are in store for the month of May.Stay tuned folks!